Upright vacuum cleaners, extractors and canister vacuum cleaners with power nozzles incorporating rotary agitators are presently manufactured and marketed by a number of different companies. The agitators carry cleaning structures such as rubber wipers, beater bars, brushes and tufted bristles to brush or beat dirt and debris from an underlying surface such as a carpet being cleaned.
The rotary agitators are rotated quickly at speeds up to 2,500–6,500 rpm and through engagement with the underlying carpet, are subjected to significant sheer forces. As such, the agitators must have relatively high inherent strength to withstand operation over an extended service life.
The present invention relates to a relatively low profile agitator constructed to have the necessary strength to reliably and dependably function over a long service life. Such a low profile agitator may, advantageously, be incorporated into a low profile nozzle assembly of an upright vacuum cleaner, power head or extractor which is capable of cleaning under overlying obstacles such as the projecting margin of built-in bathroom and kitchen cabinets or furniture such as beds, dressers and the like.